United States – State health officials reported Thursday a second human case of the eastern equine encephalitis virus, a virus spread by mosquitoes.
There was also confirmation that there was another instance of the virus in a horse.
The human case we are dealing with is a woman of about 30 years. Both were aerial-sprayed in the area of Plymouth County on Tuesday night, and that place was chosen purposely. Both were already infected even before the spraying was done, as reported by HealthDay.
The identification of the newest case was made when a New Hampshire resident who had contracted the virus died, according to the state health officials on Tuesday.
First Massachusetts Human Case of 2024
As per New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, the first case in a decade was contracted by a Hampstead resident. The resident, who the department said is an adult, had been admitted due to exacerbated central nervous system signs.
Eastern equine encephalitis is a flu-like severe and potentially fatal illness that can be acquired by individuals of all ages and occurs when an infected mosquito bites a human being. The first human EEE case confirmed this year is a male in his eighties who was probably exposed in southern Worcester County.
Precautions Against Mosquito Bites
Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein told officials people need to do all they can to avoid mosquito bites.
“We expect that the aerial spraying will help prevent risk for EEE from continuing to escalate in the area, but it does not eliminate it completely,” he said.
Severity and Fatality Rates of EEE
At least one-third of the people who get encephalitis from the virus die from it; those who survive may have permanent mental and physical impairments.
As of now, no vaccine or antiviral medication can cure infections, which may result in flu-like symptoms, and further lead to severe neurological disorders in conjunction with brain inflammation and the membranes encasing the spinal cord.
Historical Context and Current Threat
In Massachusetts, 76 positive samples of EEE mosquitoes have been confirmed.
Some of the mayors in some towns in Massachusetts have asked residents to avoid going out at night this summer in order to combat the virus, as reported by HealthDay.
This past year, there was an outbreak of the disease, which was confirmed in 12 people; six of them died in Massachusetts. In the next year, the disease resurfaced again and affected five more people, with one death. This year, for example, fifty percent mortality was recorded in New Hampshire for those infected in 2014.